Satellites: India - Revision history

Jyoti: /* China vis-à-vis India: capacities */

2026-05-08T18:19:48Z

‎China vis-à-vis India: capacities

Jyoti: /* 2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex */

2025-02-13T16:19:03Z

‎2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex

Jyoti: /* Constellation of satellites */

2025-01-27T19:48:23Z

‎Constellation of satellites

Jyoti: /* Docking of satellites in space */

2025-01-27T19:48:08Z

‎Docking of satellites in space

Jyoti: /* China vis-à-vis India: capacities */

2025-01-27T19:46:49Z

‎China vis-à-vis India: capacities

Jyoti: /* Constellation of satellites */

2025-01-22T19:17:42Z

‎Constellation of satellites

Jyoti: /* China vis-à-vis India: capacities */

2025-01-22T19:15:27Z

‎China vis-à-vis India: capacities

Jyoti: /* Janus 1: world’s first cloud built satellite\ 2023 */

2024-04-18T09:03:33Z

‎Janus 1: world’s first cloud built satellite\ 2023

Pdewan: /* The broad picture */

2023-08-23T17:38:37Z

‎The broad picture

Jyoti: /* Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle */

2023-06-25T10:05:47Z

‎Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:19, 8 May 2026
Line 412:		Line 412:
	Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.		Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.

		+	=Collision alerts=
		+	==2025==
		+	===5L alerts===
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_04_2026_027_002_cap_TOI Chethan.Kumar, April 17, 2026: ''The Times of India'']

		+	Bengaluru : Earth’s orbit is turning into a high-speed traffic grid and Indian satellites are swerving to stay safe. More than 1.5 lakh closeapproach alerts were issued for Indian space assets in 2025, exposing mounting collision risks in an increasingly crowded sky.
		+
		+	Data from Indian Space Situational Assessment Report 2025 shows about 1.6 lakh alerts globally, many generated by the US Space Command’s Combined Space Operations Center. Each alert flags a potential nearmiss — a sign of how tightly packed orbital paths have become. Behind record-breaking launches lies mounting operational pressure.

	[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA		[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA

@@ Line 431: / Line 431: @@
 =Docking of satellites in space=
 ==2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex==
-[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']
+[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 17, 2025: ''The Times of India'']
-[[File: SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025.jpg|SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[File: SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025.jpg|SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 17, 2025: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
@@ Line 441: / Line 441: @@
  The critical moment of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) unfolded at 6.30am when commands were issued from Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in Bengaluru.
 [[Category:India|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:48, 27 January 2025
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	'' Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world: 2024 ''		'' Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world: 2024 ''
		+
		+	=Docking of satellites in space=
		+	==2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex==
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025.jpg\|SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+
		+	Bengaluru : India made it to the elite group of nations capable of executing space docking operations after Isro completed its first-ever satellite-docking manoeuvre early Thursday, marking a giant leap towards multiple future missions, including Chandrayaan-4 and setting up the country’s own space station.
		+
		+	The achievement, which placed India in the exclusive league of the US, Russia and China, came in Isro’s fourth docking attempt since putting the two satellites —Target and Chaser — in orbit on Dec 30. After the satellites started drifting apart by Jan 7, Isro deployed various strategies to pull them back as close as three metres from each other before taking the final step.
		+
		+	The critical moment of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) unfolded at 6.30am when commands were issued from Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in Bengaluru.

	[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA		[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:48, 27 January 2025
Line 412:		Line 412:
	Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.		Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.

−	~~=Docking of satellites in space=~~
−	~~==2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex==~~
−	~~[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']~~

−	[[File: SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025.jpg\|SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
−
−
−	Bengaluru : India made it to the elite group of nations capable of executing space docking operations after Isro completed its first-ever satellite-docking manoeuvre early Thursday, marking a giant leap towards multiple future missions, including Chandrayaan-4 and setting up the country’s own space station.
−
−	The achievement, which placed India in the exclusive league of the US, Russia and China, came in Isro’s fourth docking attempt since putting the two satellites —Target and Chaser — in orbit on Dec 30. After the satellites started drifting apart by Jan 7, Isro deployed various strategies to pull them back as close as three metres from each other before taking the final step.
−
−	~~The critical moment of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) unfolded at 6.30am when commands were issued from Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in Bengaluru.~~

	[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA		[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:46, 27 January 2025
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	Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.		Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.
		+
		+	=Docking of satellites in space=
		+	==2025: India 4th country to do so/ SpaDex==
		+	[https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']
		+
		+	[[File: SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025.jpg\|SpaDex, a timeline- 2016- January 16, 2025 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=17_01_2025_027_016_cap_TOI Chethan Kumar, January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']\|frame\|500px]]
		+
		+
		+	Bengaluru : India made it to the elite group of nations capable of executing space docking operations after Isro completed its first-ever satellite-docking manoeuvre early Thursday, marking a giant leap towards multiple future missions, including Chandrayaan-4 and setting up the country’s own space station.
		+
		+	The achievement, which placed India in the exclusive league of the US, Russia and China, came in Isro’s fourth docking attempt since putting the two satellites —Target and Chaser — in orbit on Dec 30. After the satellites started drifting apart by Jan 7, Isro deployed various strategies to pull them back as close as three metres from each other before taking the final step.
		+
		+	The critical moment of the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) unfolded at 6.30am when commands were issued from Isro Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (Istrac) in Bengaluru.
		+
		+	[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|SATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:S&T\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]

	=Constellation of satellites=		=Constellation of satellites=

@@ Line 414: / Line 414: @@
 =Constellation of satellites=
 ==India vis-à-vis the world: 2024==
-[[File: Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world, 2024.jpg|Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world: 2024 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=09_01_2025_011_002_cap_TOI  January 1, 2025: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
+[[File: Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world, 2024.jpg|Constellation of satellites, India vis-à-vis the world: 2024 <br/> From: [https://epaper.indiatimes.com/article-share?article=09_01_2025_011_002_cap_TOI  January 9, 2025: ''The Times of India'']|frame|500px]]
 '''See graphic''':

@@ Line 269: / Line 269: @@
 On March 27, India joined China in an elite club of nations that have the capability to destroy satellites—although no country with the ability has ever hit assets of other nations—the operation, code-named Mission Shakti was a demonstration of India's military power. TOI takes a look at how the space programmes of both countries match up.
 It has already sent people into space, landed payload on the Moon, and by 2022, China hopes to set up a space station of its own, all major strides in space technology.
 India, on the other hand, announced an ambitious human spaceflight mission on August 15, 2018, and is on its way to put two to three astronauts in space by 2022. Its project (Chandrayaan-2) to land payloads on Moon has been delayed—although Chandrayaan-1 orbited the Moon and sent significant data—and its space agency has no plans of setting up a space station.
@@ Line 407: / Line 408: @@
 According to an ORF paper on Chinese space strategy and modernisation, China's general silence on its own space programme unfortunately makes speculation a primary source of information, while pointing out how it has largely focused on military needs.
 While no comprehensive data on how many operational military satellites China has, the Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2018, says that China launched 14 military satellites in 2017 alone, the highest.
 Comparatively, India has a total of 13 satellites used by the military for various needs. In what was described as the first major use of the Cartosat family of satellites, the last one (2c) launched in June 2016, sources in Isro said, that the armed forces were aided by high-resolution images for the “surgical strikes” conducted across the line of control (LoC) in September 2016.
 = Electro-Magnetic Intelligence Satellite=

@@ Line 674: / Line 674: @@
 Speaking to TOI, ATL founder and CMD Subba Rao Pavuluri said, "The first cloud-based satellite means one can access the data of JANUS-1 satellite from the cloud of Antaris company. JANUS-1 carries five payloads, including IOT (internet of things) and communication systems. With our company's facilities in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram, we have provided support systems to Isro in developing 88 satellites and 72 launch vehicles in the last 28 years." Subba Rao said his company's new satellite centre in Bengaluru is a first-of-its-kind private facility in India and has the capacity to produce eight satellites weighing over 2 tonnes in 18 months and around 25-30 small satellites in just one month. "Besides supporting Isro, the company is also planning to develop its own constellation of earth observation satellites just like UK-based OneWeb is doing in the field of broadband satellites.”
-[[Category:India|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
+==Sub-metre resolution earth observation, TSAT-1A==
 SATELLITES: INDIA]]
-[[Category:Pages with broken file links|SATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
+[[Category:Pages with broken file links|SATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
 SATELLITES: INDIA]]
-[[Category:S&T|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
+[[Category:S&T|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
 SATELLITES: INDIA]]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 =The broad picture=
 ==1999-2019: 300 satellites from 33 nations put in space==
 [https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/isro-milestone-300-satellites-from-33-nations-put-in-space-in-20-years/articleshow/72268186.cms  U Tejonmayam, Nov 28, 2019: ''The Times of India'']
@@ Line 36: / Line 39: @@
 It was the fifth launch of the year that comes after GSLV-MkIII successfully launched Chandrayaan-2 in July 22. In September, Vikram lander crashed when it attempted to softland on Moon. Isro has so far placed 310 satellites from 33 countries since May 26, 1999 when PSLV, on its second operational flight, carried three satellites in a single vehicle for the first time which included those from Korea and Germany.
 Sivan said the agency has planned 13 missions in the next four months which includes six launch vehicle missions and seven satellite missions. "Our hands are full. Team Isro will rise to the occasion and meet every demand," he said.
 =Aryabhata: India’s first satellite into space=

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:05, 25 June 2023
Line 513:		Line 513:

	''Gsat 11, India’s heaviest satellite''		''Gsat 11, India’s heaviest satellite''
		+
		+
		+	=Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)=
		+	==2023==
		+	[https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/new-navic-satellite-launching-today-why-a-regional-navigation-system-matters-to-india-8633947/ Anonna Dutt, May 30, 2023: ''The Indian Express'']
		+
		+
		+	'' Each of the seven satellites currently in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation, operationally named NavIC, weighed much less — around 1,425 kg — at liftoff. They all rode the lighter PSLV, ISRO’s workhorse launch rocket. ''
		+
		+	The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the first of the second-generation satellites for its navigation constellation successfully on Monday morning. The 2,232 kg satellite, the heaviest in the constellation, was launched by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) rocket that lifted off from Sriharikota at 10:42 am.
		+
		+	Each of the seven satellites currently in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation, operationally named NavIC, weighed much less — around 1,425 kg — at liftoff. They all rode the lighter Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO’s workhorse launch rocket.
		+
		+
		+	The last IRNSS satellite, IRNSS-1I, was launched in April 2018 to replace an older, partially defunct satellite in the constellation. IRNSS-1I was ISRO’s ninth satellite for the NavIC constellation, but is considered to be the eighth because the IRNSS-1H — launched eight months earlier in August 2017 and originally intended to replace the older satellite — was lost after the heat shield of the payload failed to open on time.
		+
		+	''' What’s new in the second-generation NavIC satellite? '''
		+
		+	As stated above, the second-generation satellite — christened NVS-01, the first of ISRO’s NVS series of payloads — is heavier. Other than that:
		+
		+	Atomic Clock: The satellite will have a Rubidium atomic clock onboard, a significant technology developed by India. “The space-qualified Rubidium atomic clock indigenously developed by Space Application Centre-Ahmedabad is an important technology which only a handful of countries possess,” ISRO said in a statement.
		+
		+	L1 signals for better use in wearable devices: The second generation satellites will send signals in a third frequency, L1, besides the L5 and S frequency signals that the existing satellites provide, increasing interoperability with other satellite-based navigation systems.
		+
		+	The L1 frequency is among the most commonly used in the Global Positioning System (GPS), and will increase the use of the regional navigation system in wearable devices and personal trackers that use low-power, single-frequency chips.
		+
		+	Longer mission life: The second-generation satellites will also have a longer mission life of more than 12 years. The existing satellites have a mission life of 10 years.
		+
		+	''' What is the significance of the atomic clock on board the NVS-01 payload? '''
		+
		+	Several of the existing satellites stopped providing location data after their onboard atomic clocks failed — this was the main reason for the launch of the replacement satellite in 2018. Since a satellite-based positioning system determines the location of objects by accurately measuring the time it takes for a signal to travel to and back from it using the atomic clocks on board, failure of clocks means the satellites are no longer able to provide accurate locations.
		+
		+	Currently, only four IRNSS satellites are able to provide location services, according to ISRO officials. The other satellites can only be used for messaging services such as providing disaster warnings or potential fishing zone messages for fishermen.
		+
		+	''' And what about the age of the satellites? '''
		+
		+	This is the second major concern, besides the failing atomic clocks. IRNSS-1A was launched into orbit on July 1, 2013, and the 1B and 1C satellites were launched in the following year. 1A is almost defunct — the failed 1H mission of 2018 was intended to replace this satellite — and all the three oldest satellites in the constellation are close to the end of their 10-year mission lives. At least three new satellites must be put into orbit to keep the seven-satellite constellation fully functional, ISRO officials said.
		+
		+	''' What practical purpose does the NAvIC constellation serve for users? '''
		+
		+	ISRO has been criticised by experts for not focussing on the development of the user segment until very late in the life of some of the satellites in the constellation.
		+
		+	Ajey Lele, senior fellow at Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, had told The Indian Express earlier that because of this lack of interest, no receivers were developed for the NavIC system, even though the satellites were sending signals.
		+
		+	A 2018 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India said that even though the Cabinet cleared funding of Rs 200 crore to develop user receivers in 2006, work on the project started only in March 2017, by which time seven launches had already taken place.
		+
		+	The receivers have now been developed, and NavIC is in use for projects like public vehicle safety, power grid synchronisation, real-time train information systems, and fishermen’s safety. “Other upcoming initiatives (such as) common alert protocol based emergency warning, time dissemination, geodetic network, unmanned aerial vehicles are in the process of adopting NavIC system,” Minister of State in the Department of Space Dr Jitendra Singh told Parliament last year.
		+
		+	Some cell phone chipsets such as the ones built by Qualcomm and MediaTek integrated NavIC receivers in 2019. The Ministry of Electronics and IT is in talks with smartphone companies to urge them to make their handsets NavIC compatible.
		+
		+	''' What is the advantage of having a regional navigation system? '''
		+
		+	India is the only country that has a regional satellite-based navigation system. There are four global satellite-based navigation systems — the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS (GLObalnaya NAvigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema), the European Galileo, and the Chinese Beidou. Japan has a four-satellite system that can augment GPS signals over the country, similar to India’s GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation).
		+
		+	Once fully operational — with ground stations outside India for better triangulation of signals — NavIC open signals will be accurate up to 5 metres and restricted signals will be even more accurate. GPS signals by contrast are accurate up to around 20 metres. Work is underway to set up ground stations in Japan, France, and Russia, ISRO officials said.
		+
		+	NavIC provides coverage over the Indian landmass and up to a radius of 1,500 km around it. In this region, NavIC signals will likely be available in even hard-to-reach areas. Unlike GPS, NavIC uses satellites in high geo-stationery orbit — the satellites move at a constant speed relative to Earth, so they are always looking over the same region on Earth.
		+
		+	NavIC signals come to India at a 90-degree angle, making it easier for them to reach devices located even in congested areas, dense forests, or mountains. GPS signals are received over India at an angle.
		+
		+	With the use of NavIC picking up, the government has been looking at the possibility of increasing the coverage area of the system. “Detailed studies are in progress on technical parameters and feasibility,” an ISRO official said.
		+
		+	[[Category:India\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:Pages with broken file links\|SATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]
		+	[[Category:S&T\|GSATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIASATELLITES: INDIA
		+	SATELLITES: INDIA]]

	=Pakistan mapped by Indian satellites=		=Pakistan mapped by Indian satellites=